Todays Drop Amazing Results

[Data Glasses]

gotta admit it sure does add to the drama , the other i bid on a name and won it but then i had to wait to see if drop had caught it ? ....... which that did !

If a name has no bids i think it's ok , but domainnames makes a good point about human nature and resisting temptation

 

[AndyC]

Looks like I am not making many friends on this forum There are obviously a lot of people very happy with the Domain Snapper service. I have used Snapper previously and with their recent successes am considering paying for a 12mth membership. This is when I noticed the hidden bids and thought it would be worthwhile seeking some clarifcation.

Regarding some of the responses:

Perhaps you would be happy if they emailed you a list of the ones they intend to buy so you can then bid on it yourself? Do your own research each day and the fact they bid on domains no-one wants is a non issue.

Of course that is not what I am asking for. But PA is placing bids on the names so I don't understand why their bids should not appear during the auctions. I would LOVE the option to place hidden bids! I would LOVE to have access to an API or whatever process to place automated bids immediately after the auction is closed! Wouldn't you? I seem to remember Drop at some point had hidden bids for the first bid or two. They stopped at some point. I am sure you can guess why!

I don't think it is as simple as wanting or not wanting a domain. Some names are probably marginal so obviously more attractive to catch if you can for the minimum fee and by reducing risk of competitive bids by hiding them (during the auction) is a way to do this.

i agree, that is my point if somebody wanted these domains they should have made a bid and since nobody did they should be able to catch them

I have never raised an issue with PA catching names, the issue I have raised is that some can place hidden bids but others cannot.

I find it interesting that people constantly question NetFleet and PA. NetFleet work tirelessly to encourage an aftermarket. What do you do?

NF has a great platform, we all love it. PA buy and sell domains. Are you suggesting they cannot use the very platform they created for the industry?

If you dont like the system, dont use it.

They do / or will obviously benefit financially like any successful commercial venture so I am not sure how hard they work or contribute is an argument in this specific issue. I would like to see Domain Snapper succeed as well as any other catch service. More competition will result in better catch service prices. I have nothing against NF, PA or Drop.

I have not said they should not use the very platform they created. I raised an issue and it turns out that PA have an arrangement which does not seem to be available to others. I would rather see PA operate under the same rules as everyone including being able to compete in bids! I know Mark has mentioned the bids are not hidden because they are displayed after the auction ends but the point is that they have an advantage with hidden bids during the auction which is obviously when it matters. Mark has mentioned that PA are at a big disadvantage in not being able to take part in competitive bids. That is true in terms of Snapper however I imagine they are quite active on Drop.

I guess I can understand the reaction - this is a pretty minor issue in that the names are free for anyone to bid on however I am sure some of you would agree being able to place hidden bids is an advantage?

 

[Rhythm]

Important to note too that the bids are not hidden, rather they come in after the auction closes

End of discussion.

I'm just going to state the obvious:

The only situations that I can think of (hypothetically) as to the reason why someone (let's call him Rhythm) might feel this is unfair would be:

1. when I see that the target domain has no bids on either platform, and assume l will be able to handreg it.

or

2. when I only have an account at Drop and not at NetFleet or vice versa, and bid on target domain, only to find out that it's been caught by the other platform.

So either way, I'd probably be somewhere between sad and angry depending on the quality of the domain and how much I wanted it, but that doesn't necessarily make me in the right and them in the wrong.

Maybe both could put something in their Terms and conditions or FAQ's about this possibility of them regging domains that receive no bids by close of auction or whatever. (tbh I have no idea why Drop would even show they're $0 bids given the high probability that nobody (who had not done their own keyword research) would have considered/made a bid on them anyway had they not been ''Zeroed''.)

 

[Jonathan]

Personally I love NF and I think they're doing heaps for the industry. A fair few people on this forum (especially me) have a great deal to thank them for.

Having said that, I don't think more transparency would be a bad thing. These recurring questons about a conflict of interest, whether warranted or not, can't be good for any of us.

Hopefully there is some middle ground.

 

[Ken]

Hi AndyC,

As someone who works in "the business", I thought I might just put forward a few thoughts to give a bit of a perspective on the other side of things.

It can actually be quite difficult when it comes to using your own system for catching dropped domains. The thing is that it's never really fair to your customers if you actively bid on domains you are interested in, since you are running the auction, you can see all the proxies etc, you have an extremely unfair (illegal even?) advantage.

Effectively, the only way you are "allowed" to register the domains is if your customers didn't actually want them.

What NetFleet are doing is not really hidden bidding, or bidding after the auction. It's actually more like picking up the scraps that were left over after all the customers have taken the good stuff. I could see your point if they were both bidding during auctions or outbidding customers post-auction.

Let me put forward a question: If you were given the choice of EITHER bidding during the auction on anything you like OR bidding on only unbid domains post auction, what would you chose?

Drop do a similar thing to NetFleet with the domains they are interested in, but they mark the domains that they intend to register before the auctions finish as $0 bids, which effectively highlights the domains that they like and give the customers a chance to "outbid" the house. Most of the time the customers do see these domains and decide that they don't want Drop to get them.

 

[Drop.com.au]

Drop do a similar thing to NetFleet with the domains they are interested in, but they mark the domains that they intend to register before the auctions finish as $0 bids, which effectively highlights the domains that they like and give the customers a chance to "outbid" the house. Most of the time the customers do see these domains and decide that they don't want Drop to get them.

As Netfleet are not displaying Publishing Australia's bidding intentions prior to the close of the auction, and in order to provide an even playing field, maybe Drop.com.au should not display Domain Active's bidding intentions i.e. $0 bids?

What are everybody's thoughts on this? Should Drop remove $0 bids, or should Netfleet show $0 Bids?

Cheers

Andrew

 

[davids]

As Netfleet are not displaying Publishing Australia's bidding intentions prior to the close of the auction, and in order to provide an even playing field, maybe Drop.com.au should not display Domain Active's bidding intentions i.e. $0 bids?

What are everybody's thoughts on this? Should Drop remove $0 bids, or should Netfleet show $0 Bids?

Cheers

Andrew

If anything, I think probably the best way of doing it would be as you originally had it on Drop where the first bid ($1) is hidden until someone else bids on/over it.

That way;
a) Domain Active isn't penalised by $0 bids showing so other people can bid over them
b) Publishing Australia doesn't have access to a 'feature' that others wouldn't have
c) Anyone wanting 'unwanted domains' don't have them marked as bid upon until someone else bids on them

 

[DomainNames]

show $0 bids would be the best option for netfleet just as drop now do. It is the most fair and transparency is best policy in this situation.

Might be interesting to see some new companies joining in the drop process now its obvious its not all one sided anymore.. I'm surprised more companies havent done it.. or even AUDA themselves ( they ran all the generic auctions themselves years ago and kept the profits from memory?)

 

[Rhythm]

If anything, I think probably the best way of doing it would be as you originally had it on Drop where the first bid ($1) is hidden until someone else bids on/over it.

Yes. This is probably the most equitable solution.

 

[DomainNames]

lost a few in the last few days when I used Drop instead of netfleet.. Didnt really want them so much but I note drop would have made a lot more $$ from me than netfleet did with their bidders.

Time to join the netfleet auction also now.. I have been just using drop but now its obvious they cant get them all anymore.

 

[Shane]

I think the $0 bid system used by Drop is the fairest. That said, I don't have an issue with PA picking up names on Netfleet after the auction ends. I mean, if no one places a bid anyway, what's the drama?

 

[Shaun]

I mean, if no one places a bid anyway, what's the drama?

Exactly!

 

[paz]

I find it interesting that people constantly question NetFleet and PA. NetFleet work tirelessly to encourage an aftermarket. What do you do?

NF has a great platform, we all love it. PA buy and sell domains. Are you suggesting they cannot use the very platform they created for the industry?

If you dont like the system, dont use it.

Agreed.

 

[AndyC]

Wow time to sign up to Netfleet LOL

Hard to argue with that after today!

 

[zhenjie]

NF picked up every domain they wanted? Ouch.

So annoyed they have 1/2 price signups a week after I signed up!

 

[Roo]

I think its more of a case that the Drop systems failed.

Perhaps its because the names didn't drop from the registry until 1:06 even though they are supposed to drop at 1:00 exactly according to auDA not that they ever do.

 

[Nova]

1:00pm on the dot? That's not my understanding although it's been a little while since I read the policy on dropping.

The NF system is definitely on the up as evidenced by a number of auctions in the last few weeks.

Nova